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...The NFL uses these guys. They take advantage of young men that don't have an alternative. It works out very well for a small few. But for the majority, it's a horrible system.

And the cycle will only change if we fans change. As long as we demand the product it will be produced. The NFL really isn't all that different than prostitution or other seedy industries.

I find myself agreeing with much of this, but there is another side to things that seems relevant as well. If these guys truly "don't have an alternative", their lifetime $$ potential would be much lower without the few years in the NFL they do have. What I mean is ... if they are going to be stocking boxes at Walmart when they are "retired" after 3 years, they probably would have been doing that straight out of high school if it weren't for the NFL.

So is it really an "abuse by the NFL", or do both parties get something out of it?

So is it really an "abuse by the NFL", or do both parties get something out of it?

Sure, both sides get something. I'm all for a free market and letting people make decisions for themselves. I'd even be for legalizing prostitution, marijuana, other drugs, etc.

Even though everyone gets something still doesn't make it right. It's like prohibition and alcohol. Should the gov't have ever tried to control alcohol? No. However, alcohol still causes a lot of problems for a lot of people - from DUIs, to prisons, to alcoholism, etc.

Mr Miyagi could teach us all a lot about balance. I can see both sides of the argument here.

In 1990, the average was ~$300k, couldn't find the media but I'd assume ~$100k.

The average NFL career is 3.5 years.

So the typical guy made $350k 20 years ago in the NFL.

10 years ago - $1.4M.

Take out taxes, agent fees, living amongst celebs and their lifestyles, etc. and it's easy to see why there wouldn't be anything left.

And to think these guys know what they're doing, remember this is their first job. They're young 20 year olds. They probably know very little. And unfortunately they probably come from a background that hasn't prepared them for being successful. There's loads of rags to riches stories. Some do ok, others not so much.

And if these beatings are really causing brain injuries and these guys are self medicating with drugs and alcohol, it's not likely they're in a position to make decisions. Mental illness could be running rampant in the NFL all things considered.

It seems like we project ourselves onto this guys and what we'd do in their situation without understanding their situation. The NFL uses these guys. They take advantage of young men that don't have an alternative. It works out very well for a small few. But for the majority, it's a horrible system.

And the cycle will only change if we fans change. As long as we demand the product it will be produced. The NFL really isn't all that different than prostitution or other seedy industries.

Where does personal responsibility come in. No one forces any of these players to play in the NFL. Each one of them got the opportunity a free education and a university that my daughter would never have the chance to get. If they did not take advantage of that "gift" then shame on them..again personal responsibility and choice. Playing in the NFL is an option, but it is an option that many take because of the potential pay offs..again personal responsibility and choice. It is no different than someone being a deep sea diver, logger, coal miner or soldier. All those jobs have risks far greater than the NFL but you don't see them suing former employers.

The notion that anyone played in the NFL and didn't realize they could get hurt after playing football for 10 years before they even got to the NFL is beyond ridiculous. No one is forced to show up at an NFL training camp so portraying these guys as "victims" of a system is ridiculous.

In 1990, the average was ~$300k, couldn't find the media but I'd assume ~$100k.

The average NFL career is 3.5 years.

So the typical guy made $350k 20 years ago in the NFL.

10 years ago - $1.4M.

Take out taxes, agent fees, living amongst celebs and their lifestyles, etc. and it's easy to see why there wouldn't be anything left.

And to think these guys know what they're doing, remember this is their first job. They're young 20 year olds. They probably know very little. And unfortunately they probably come from a background that hasn't prepared them for being successful. There's loads of rags to riches stories. Some do ok, others not so much.

And if these beatings are really causing brain injuries and these guys are self medicating with drugs and alcohol, it's not likely they're in a position to make decisions. Mental illness could be running rampant in the NFL all things considered.

It seems like we project ourselves onto this guys and what we'd do in their situation without understanding their situation. The NFL uses these guys. They take advantage of young men that don't have an alternative. It works out very well for a small few. But for the majority, it's a horrible system.

And the cycle will only change if we fans change. As long as we demand the product it will be produced. The NFL really isn't all that different than prostitution or other seedy industries.

Did you see the ESPN "30 for 30" show that came out about a week or so ago titled "Broke"? A lot of ESPN programming is crap these days, but the 30 for 30 films are typically of high quality. And it is Steeler relevant, because one of the guys that they profile is Leon Searcy.

The Rams' offense featuring weapons such as Marshall Faulk, Torrey Holt, and Isaac Bruce were known as "The Greatest Show on Turf"

The Steelers' offense featuring weapons such as Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant should be known as "The Greatest Show on Grass"

This has nothing at all to do with respective playing surfaces at the Edward Jones Dome vs. Heinz Field.

Where does personal responsibility come in. No one forces any of these players to play in the NFL. Each one of them got the opportunity a free education and a university that my daughter would never have the chance to get. If they did not take advantage of that "gift" then shame on them..again personal responsibility and choice. Playing in the NFL is an option, but it is an option that many take because of the potential pay offs..again personal responsibility and choice. It is no different than someone being a deep sea diver, logger, coal miner or soldier. All those jobs have risks far greater than the NFL but you don't see them suing former employers.

The notion that anyone played in the NFL and didn't realize they could get hurt after playing football for 10 years before they even got to the NFL is beyond ridiculous. No one is forced to show up at an NFL training camp so portraying these guys as "victims" of a system is ridiculous.

These players do something 99% of the student body can't do... if your daughter finds something she can do really well... math, science, basketball, softball, etc. She can get a free education too.

..and employees sue former employers all the time for medical reasons. If a deep sea diver was given a faulty tank because the employer was too cheap to get the good ones... they sue. If a mine collapses and they find out the owner didn't follow regulations... they sue.

I don't think it's about the injuries as much as it's about the NFL teams encouraging players to play through the pain or doctors signing off/shooting up players who weren't ready to play.

Did you see the ESPN "30 for 30" show that came out about a week or so ago titled "Broke"? A lot of ESPN programming is crap these days, but the 30 for 30 films are typically of high quality. And it is Steeler relevant, because one of the guys that they profile is Leon Searcy.

Great show...

unless you were born with money you won't be responsible with it at 21.

Did you see the ESPN "30 for 30" show that came out about a week or so ago titled "Broke"? A lot of ESPN programming is crap these days, but the 30 for 30 films are typically of high quality. And it is Steeler relevant, because one of the guys that they profile is Leon Searcy.

Didn't see it. But there was one on the other night about Olympic runners, Carl Lewis, Ben Johnson, steroids, etc. and it was fascinating. I like those whenever I see them, but I never have any idea when they're on.

Where does personal responsibility come in. No one forces any of these players to play in the NFL. Each one of them got the opportunity a free education and a university that my daughter would never have the chance to get. If they did not take advantage of that "gift" then shame on them..again personal responsibility and choice. Playing in the NFL is an option, but it is an option that many take because of the potential pay offs..again personal responsibility and choice. It is no different than someone being a deep sea diver, logger, coal miner or soldier. All those jobs have risks far greater than the NFL but you don't see them suing former employers.

The notion that anyone played in the NFL and didn't realize they could get hurt after playing football for 10 years before they even got to the NFL is beyond ridiculous. No one is forced to show up at an NFL training camp so portraying these guys as "victims" of a system is ridiculous.

It's pretty unlikely these kids are getting great guidance heading into college. They're 17, 18, 19 when they're going to school. I can remember the things I was concerned about back then and personal responsibility wasn't at the top of the list.

Plus they're going to school to play football. That takes up a lot of time. Especially if they're striving for that to be their full time job when they leave college. Education is probably an after though. And guys on a scholarship are being told how great they are by everyone. And their positive reinforcement is all about football.

We've seen the SAT scores of a lot of these players. I bet it's hard to focus on education if you have problems with basic reading and writing. I've seen smart kids get easily lost in school. If school isn't a focus or you didn't win the DNA lottery for brains, you're probably going to struggle. And then lose interest. And then get lost. Especially in these big college programs with huge numbers of students.

It works out for some, but others could probably use some guidance and positive role models in their lives. They probably need some people that care about them as people and don't objectify them as football players.

We're all victims or slaves in this world to money, power, greed. We all start out innocent. And someone eventually takes advantage of our innocence and takes it away. We're lucky if we have someone to protect it. Not so much if we don't. We've all gotta make the best of it and do the best we can.

But it looks from the outside like big dollars are involved and many of the players that make it in the league come from modest backgrounds. They're effectively kids when they start down this path.